interview with Lumete

I always invest on great quality products

in shoes, sunglasses, bags and outerwears (jackets, coats, etc.)

because that quality can't be replaced exactly in that

depth of time and effort put in like making an individual art piece

especially if it's a handmade product

I interviewed Clara Herrera, creative director, designer & founder of Lumete (the other founder is her friend Barbara Warren)

hope you'll enjoy this interview and beautiful collections from http://www.lumete.com/

I've picked personal 7 favorite looks!

and I want nothing more than for you to learn from this post

that eye protection is the first key to consider when you purchase sunglasses

and then after choosing the right brand and store,

pick your design in terms of color, shape and sizes etc.

attic safari-golden sunset

1. How was the trade show at the SXSW festival? I've never been to Austin. Seems like such a great event I've missed!

Style X was awesome, and we had a blast in sunny Austin. We feel that Style X is the first showcase to truly merge music, indie culture and style in a single event, and we are extremely honored to have been a part of it. We connected with other amazing emerging brands, heard great music and met wonderful people from all over the world.

Style X is revolutionary in that it looks at how music and independent artistic expression is shaping Style, and it takes Style directly to the people. We also strongly respond to the core philosophy of the event. Founder Joah Spearman decided to call the event Style X, rather than Fashion X because there is an important differentiation to be made: while “Fashion” deals in trends and tortured schedules, “Style” is about expressing and differentiating oneself, creating a lasting individuality rather than simply following trends. In terms of our brand we strongly believe in this concept. We see sunglasses as a vital item in a women’s wardrobe and an important way to express her individuality. We create pieces that are unique and bold yet sophisticated and timeless.

Style X is a great way for everyone to have the chance to see the work created by exciting new brands as well as shop on the spot for the pieces they like.

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2. What does your typical day look like?

As a small, emerging company, every day is different. We are handling everything ourselves… from design and development, to sales, graphic design, logistics, PR, accounting, or planning for shows such as Style X. So we’re always working, which can be difficult, but always interesting and very rewarding.

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3. Do you do collaborations with others? Do you have any muses or people/brands you want to collaborate with some day?

Being one of the few independent eyewear brands on the market we feel much affinity and respect for other indie brands out there. We are shying away from actual product design collaborations as we are focused on establishing the Lumete brand and vision; however, we have been very open to other creative relationships, such as photoshoot or runway styling. For example, we recently provided sunglasses to summerwear line Cavortress, another emerging brand that showed at Style X. We have also connected with many creative people such as musicians and bloggers, as we love to create relationships with like-minded women who share our aesthetic sensibility. 

dramolete-teal shadow

4. Any countries/cities you want to visit?

All of them! Barbara and I love to travel and have been to many places, but there are still too many places left to name.

Barbara is lucky enough to have visited Seoul and loved it, but I have not yet been to Korea. I hope to visit one day soon! As far as Lumete, we are really hoping to expand internationally – we have shipped lumete.com orders to countries all over the world, but we are still working on finding more boutiques to work with us.

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5. Any song of inspiration at the moment?

At this very moment we’re in a really mellow mood musically. We’re currently enamored with a couple of bands that played at SXSW. We’ve been listening to Rain Phoenix’s Band Papercranes and their new album “Let’s Make Babies In the Woods”. Another band we became obsessed with is Eisley, they are an amazing band from Tyler Texas and we can’t get enough of their lovely tunes. Their new album “The Valley” is beautiful!

ulula-blond havana

6. I personally can't live without sunglasses and that's why I've wanted to do an interview with you. For me I love the fact that the sunglasses give you an edgier look.

What do you think is the best feature about the sunglasses? Any recommendation for us to find that perfect pair?

Definitely, sunglasses are that accessory that immediately adds the coolness factor to your look. However, the best and most important feature of sunglasses is the protection (from the damaging rays of the sun) they provide for your eyes and the delicate eye area. Isn’t it wonderful that an item which is so necessary and practical also becomes the ultimate fashion accessory? This is why we love making sunglasses. To us they are a magical object: the perfect fusion of science, art and functionality.

It is important to understand that sunglasses are indispensable for eye health and even to keep wrinkles at bay, which is why it is crucial to buy a high-quality pair made of high-grade materials with quality lenses. To learn about what makes a good pair of sunglasses watch our video, [ http://www.youtube.com/LumeteSunglasses#p/a/u/1/D7UyD18nVSw ] where my partner Barbara explains in detail the difference between the high and low quality frames and lenses and what to look for when shopping for sunglasses.

We hear from a lot of women that they’re afraid of investing in a quality pair of sunnies because they worry about losing or breaking them, which is why Lumete sunglasses come with a set of custom-designed accessories to help you care for and treasure your sunglasses. Our aim is to inspire women to invest in quality and take care of their sunglasses, so that instead of buying cheap pairs (that are usually uncomfortable and get easily damaged) and replacing them often, they invest in beautiful quality pairs, treasure them and start building their dream sunglasses collection so they’ll have great options for every occasion, mood and outfit.

wanderling-cosmos black

7. And lastly, what do you think about fashion blogs becoming a part of the fashion industry, or like some say creating a whole new fashion world?

With social media and fashion bloggers like you, the fashion world is becoming a much more open, democratic and interesting place, where people can discover new brands and experience many different points of view rather than following the dictates of just a handful of print publications which tend to focus primarily on giant established fashion house brands. We are seeing the immense influence that independent fashion blogs are having on the fashion industry and we are thrilled to have launched Lumete in a time where this new and exciting digital fashion world is emerging and taking the industry by storm.

Check out http://www.lumete.com/ and like lumete eyewear on facebook for more updates and where you can find to shop on and offline.

(special thanks & images credit to Lumete and Clara Herrera)